GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) – There’s plenty to do and see at the Nebraska State Fair and while you’re lounging in the cow barn, you’ll find the milking parlor.

Five times a day a presentation is given about the complete milking process of a cow, the presentation being given by one of the dairy superintendents.

“A cow can only be milked so many times a day in her milking process, so we actually went with this format,” Dairy Superintendent Jane Esau said. “We milk in the morning around 6 a.m. and then we milk five times a day, about every two hours and only two cows per unit so we don’t over milk them.”

The milking parlor has been a fixture at the state fair since it moved to Grand Island in 2010. Dairy Superintendent Roger Henricks said he didn’t expect it to be such a success.

“When we started, I thought we might not last two years, but now we’ve been around for 14 or 15 years and we still attract a lot of audiences,” said Henricks.

The crowd is made up of people of all ages, including children. Esau said they’ve made adjustments to make it more kid-friendly.

“The windows were taken out of the milking parlor so the kids could really get up close and watch, and they didn’t have to put their noses up to the glass,” Esau said. “So they get to see the whole production and almost be a part of it, so that’s really exciting, they get really excited.”

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